My Presence Haunts Your Footsteps
by Human Chew Toy
Summary: Kaoru is a normal girl, plagued by a normal life and the abnormal murder of her father. The last thing she needs is a stalker, and unfortunately, it's the first thing she gets. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: _Untitled_**

**A/N: **Yes, yes, I know. I'm having quite a few problems with the server, but I chose to bear with it and just completely remove the old story from the site. It kept screwing things up. ANYHOW. Blah, blah, blah, if you are a new reader, welcome to my story. If you're not...welcome back. I'll talk to ya later. OH! Quick note: If you are firmly set in your beliefs that Kenshin could never be evil, or that Kaoru could never end up with another man besides Kenshin, please don't flame my story. If you do I may have to become Human Chew Toy, the sullen authoress. Don't make me do that.

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original storyline. I'm just shamelessly exploiting them for my own selfish reasons._

_> > _

Life was dull.

Or at least, that's the way Kaoru Kamiya saw it. She sighed and plopped her chin back down onto her hand, that was currently propped on the counter, waiting patiently for a customer, any customer, to ask her some mundanely stupid question that she really didn't need to answer in the first place. "Do you guys serve corn dogs." she mimicked in a deep, slightly retarded sounding voice. "Psh. Other side, loser." She wondered again why exactly she'd taken this job. _'Oh yeah…I'm poor.'_

Unfortunately, business was slow.

Mind-numbingly slow.

So mind-numbingly slow, that Kaoru was playing solitaire. And cheating. As a matter-of-fact, it was so slow, that she was not only playing and cheating at solitaire…she was playing, cheating, and _still_ losing at solitaire.

In a moment of distraction Kaoru caught herself staring at the counter. The sickening green color made her think of a hospital bedpan. Who knew that the remains of the fly she'd squished earlier still lay smeared all over the counter? Talk about disgusting. She wrinkled her nose, pulling herself back into a standing position, but not making a move to clean up the counter. Why didn't this job offer stools? She tossed a gaze towards her cell phone, wondering if any of her friends would be able to talk at this time of night.

Were they? No.

She scowled and settled into waiting. They should close before too long anyhow.

It wasn't too much longer before the store closed and Kaoru was free to go. She scowled and picked at the muck underneath her acrylic nails. She really hated this job, with her manager harassing her constantly about how large her posterior was, her fellow co-workers bickering about who had said what to whom, and somehow she ended up getting stuck in the middle of everything. At least she could go home now.

It was so dark…and she was parked so far away. _'Why is it so deserted?'_ she thought. "It's usually buzzing at this time of night…" she said aloud, mostly just to hear her own voice and make sure that she wasn't having some bizarre dream. Even the moon was scary. It sent shivers down her spine and made her look over her shoulder. Her footsteps echoed down the streets, chasing her shadows as she walked. She really hated having to walk so far, but there were only four parking places, and with twelve employees...well it worked on a 'first come, first serve' basis. She hadn't come first.

A large, full moon shone brightly overhead, pulling Kaoru's thoughts towards things of folklore, and magic. Oh how she wished a fairy tale would happen to her! A wonderful fairy tale where life wasn't boring and unimaginative, where it was exciting and the heroine always got the man! Well, not always, but still. She recalled one in particular, not a fairy tale but brought to her memory's surface by the current night situation.

'_He lurks in my shadows, always staying just two steps from my line of vision. I never see him, nor hear any evidence of his presence, but that small prickle at the base of my neck lets me know he's there. He haunts my footsteps…'_

"He haunts my footsteps…" Kaoru breathed as she stared up at the moon. It was so beautiful, and so menacing. It was just dark enough for anything to be hiding in the shadows of the bushes…She swallowed as her mind began to play tricks, causing her scalp to prickle and her steps to quicken.

By the time the parking garage came into view she was practically running. When she saw her car, she did in fact break into a run. Fumbling with her keys she frantically unlocked the door, whirling inside and slamming the door. Inside her breath came in short, quick little gasps, betraying her self-induced terror.

"Kaoru, you're so stupid." she said to herself as she put the keys in the ignition and started the car. She sat for a moment, looking around the inside of the garage and just taking a few to calm herself down. A light flickered at the farthest end of the garage, where she'd came in a few minutes before.

> > 

Outside in the bushes a figure crouched stealthily. The time was nearing when his debutante was essential. Until then…he could wait. Dark, violet eyes watched as Kaoru pulled out of the garage and off into the night, red tail-lights reflectinggolden in his gaze.

He knew where to find her. He'd been there before.

Not too long afterwards, the mysterious figure lay once again shrouded by the bushes, this time outside the Kamiya home. Silent eyes watched as Kaoru's car windows rolled up, and she stepped outside.

Instincts within him roared to race forward and claim her, to make her his own as he viciously wanted, but now was not the time. He would have her soon enough, but this knowledge was not enough for his quarrelling instincts. They screamed for her blood, though he wasn't sure why. He crept ever silently closer, closer, nearer and nearer and she was so blissfully unaware, ignorant of his doings. He was so close he could smell the scent of her perfume!

He was so close he could touch her. A long, slender hand reached forth, only to be snatched back when a small jingle rang through the chirp of the crickets and cicadias. A large canine body followed that jingle, happily trotting up to Kaoru, tongue lolling. For half a second, dog instincts pricked, muscles tensed. Large brown canine eyes met with feral, angry golden ones.

He flitted away, his movements so studiedly silent and quick that few had ever seen them. His moment had been stolen from him. But this was not over. He would have her, she would be his. He would lay claim to the blood that flowed through the veins of Kaoru Kamiya, if it was the last thing he did!

> > 

**A/N:**Well there's one chapter. Continue on, if you'd like. Drop me a line!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: _Untitled_**

**A/N: **And Human Chew Toy said: "Let it be known that this story is not being created as a fanfiction! It is being written first and foremost as an original, and sometimes -even though I go through it with a fine tooth comb- little things slip through. If you notice any of these things, please lemme know. I'm doing my best, but sometimes I don't notice the little things (and it leaves me with a brown-eyed Kaoru.>. ).

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original storyline. I'm just shamelessly exploiting them for my own selfish reasons._

_> > _

"Misao, I know you really do want to come to the movies with me. You always go to the movies with me." Kaoru pleaded. "Don't make me go by myself…" she threatened. Why was it her best friend always brought out that incredible urge to hurl the phone across the room? "Kaoru, I'd love to go, but I've told you already, I'm busy…"

Kaoru gritted her teeth, her grip tightening on the cordless phone. "Ok, don't worry about it Misao. I'll go to the movies alone, and when I get butchered like that one girl on Scream, you'll be sorry." She said, and hung up. She immediately regretted it. It wasn't Misao's fault that she was so single.

Even Misao had a date. It was, after all, Saturday night. She was happily going out to dinner with her Aoshi. Kaoru rolled her eyes before sighing and walked back to her bedroom, debating whether she wanted to go out at all. Cruising the town really wasn't all that fun to do alone. She shrugged and pulled on a black tank top and khaki shorts. Anything beat staying here. Alone.

She peered outside, yep, still dark. Kaoru grimaced. She really hated these fall nights, when it got dark so early and was just cold enough to put a chill in the air. She pulled her long hair up into a ponytail and soon enough she was jogging out to her car, lip curled in disgust at the dust caked on her beautiful black baby. "Stupid road work." She muttered. "Never seems to be done." Inside she turned on the radio, and finding an appropriate song for her mood, pulled out of her driveway.

Her anger and frustration eventually dissipated as she slid around gravelled curves, clouds of chalky white dust billowing behind her and settling on her car. After nearly spinning out around a curve and hitting a wide-eyed tourist, Kaoru decided to calm her speed-demon inner self. The radio blared as she drove along, angry at the world and all the happy people in it. Eventually she would cool down, but most likely not until after the movie. She'd chosen the one that looked the scariest, and actually hadn't even cared to remember the name, just hoping that she came out of it scared out of her wits.

And she did.

> >

Battousai lurked in the shadows. No one knew him by that name, well, except for the ones he killed. They rarely seemed pleased to find out his name. He sighed. He really did like telling it to people...maybe it was just his sense of drama getting to him. He almost missed his human days, when he'd been the star of the theatre productions and had had the opportunity to perform for so many. Now he had plenty of time to perform...but couldn't risk the publicity. With a heavy sigh he broke out of his depressing thoughts.

Tonight was the night. She would be his…and he would be hers, if she would have him. Most likely she wouldn't. Too bad. That just made what he planned to do all the more pungent. He wanted her, God how he wanted her, and until this woman, nothing had stopped him from getting what he wanted. This time his failure was chalked up to the unfortunate arrival of her doggy friend, but soon enough…soon enough she would be alone, and no one to hear her screams but him…

A shiver of delight raced down his spine, and an evil grin split his face. She would scream for him. His pointy teeth glinted in the evening light. The time couldn't come soon enough for him.

> >

Kaoru had never been more terrified in her life. Well, actually, she had, but at this time and moment she was pretty scared. She always hated those horror movies that used things that were possible in reality. It made her imagine those things, like burglars in her car and mountain lions in her house. She sighed.

Around every corner and in every shadow she saw them, all waiting for her to glance their way so they could disappear without a trace, or appear elsewhere. She glanced in her rear-view mirror. A lone car drove behind her, inspiring thoughts of serial murderers and kidnappings.

She sped up a bit, turning onto her road without using her blinker. "That'll throw 'em off." She whispered in satisfaction. It wasn't like people did that everyday or anything...

Images flitted at the side of the road, pulling her gaze every now and then. Most of them, however, looked poorly thought up and overdone. She was so tired…she sighed, turning her attention back to the road, and for a moment the images went away. That is, until one particularly well-thought up image stood on the side of the road.

Kaoru squinted at the figure ahead. That wasn't a make-believe halucination that her mind had produced! There really was someone standing on the side of the road. _'Hey, he's kinda cute…'_ her mind said as she assessed the upcoming stranger.

Dark red hair splayed down his back, held in place by a band. It reflected golden in the moonlight, just as his violet eyes reflected golden, almost like those of a cat. Though he was dressed in all black, it somehow made him stand out, instead of blending in. A smirk graced his features, and when Kaoru didn't slow down, he stepped directly into her path.

"Feck!" Kaoru cursed, jerking the wheel roughly to her right, and the car dove off the side of the road and plunged through the trees. A shriek battered at her throat as she finally had the presence of mind to slam on her brakes as tree branches pummeled and scratched at her car. How she managed to miss those trees is a mystery to all. Her car came to rest in a moonlit clearing, engine ticking as heat rose from under the hood. She climbed out, leaving her lights on, and looked back in the direction she'd plunged. She wasn't that far into the woods…or had that bastard just walked on and left her to rot here?

The feeling of being watched quickly grew into full-blown paranoia as Kaoru neared the road but still saw no sign of the figure she'd almost hit. Maybe she really was insane. "But then, maybe you're not…" came a whisper from behind her. She whirled around, only to find nothing. That voice had definitely not been in her head.

"Over here…" it taunted, from the bushes deeper in the woods. "Come find me, my delicate little blossom." Kaoru growled and spun in a circle. Only her father had called her that. "Who are you!" she demanded.

"I'm a secret, known only to myself and the few who evade me." Came the reply. "But you may call me Kenshin."A body materialized to fit the voice. He stepped from the bushes, posture laced with menace, arrogance, and an undercurrent of…something Kaoru couldn't quite put her finger on. "You're the guy I nearly ran over! Why you have to go and fecking jump in front of me!" she demanded, stalking the few steps until the distance between them was mere. She poked him in the chest with her pointer finger. "You knew I was coming! I saw you!"

Kenshin grabbed the wrist in front of him, his gaze momentarily fixed on the pulsing vein, but narrowed golden eyes trailed slowly back to her face. His grip was not gentle, and he could feel her struggling to pull away. He heard her gasp as he pushed her against a tree, her wrist captured above her head. Her eyes shone with fear. Just what would he do with her? He leaned towards her, his lips mere centimeters from hers. "It does not bode well for frightened females to taunt me. I don't have very much self-control." He whispered, his breath like butterflies against her lips. "You'd best not throw yourself at things unknown."

Kaoru dared not move. Who was this man? This man who could walk in front of her car, entice her to walk further into the woods, now had her held helpless against a tree and still made the first stirrings of passion tingle through her stomach even as he wound hidden threats around his words? "Who are you?" she whispered again, her voice filled with fear. She knew she held no power against this man, whoever he was. "I am your destiny, Kaoru Kamiya." Kenshin said, a grin growing as suddenly, he stepped back into the forest and disappeared .

Kaoru's arm dropped. She sank, breathless, to the leaves beneath her. The rich smell of sap was dominant as she struggled to regain her composure. Her destiny? What had he meant? That really didn't make much sense. She stood, a bit uncertainly, but stood nonetheless, and resisted the urge to run back to her car. She had never really been one to believe in fate and destiny and all those things, so this really didn't fuel much of an answer inside her.

The words traced in the dust on her car, however, were enough to strike fear and wonder in her heart.

"My presence haunts your footsteps"

>>>

**A/N:** Well, that is as far as I've written so far. Well rewritten would probably best be the word there. ANYHOW, Feel free to drop me a line! Sorry about any inconveniences I've caused. (Because I'm sure there are some.)


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: _Untitled_**

**A/N: **Me again! Hope you enjoyed the previous chapters! I enjoyed writing this one, and this is where the story begins to define itself (I believe, anyhow). If anyone has any questions, drop me a line in a review or email me. My addy is in my profile. I'm too lazy to put it here, so you can't stalk me.

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original storyline. I'm just shamelessly exploiting them for my own selfish reasons._

_>(.) _

"So what do you think" Kaoru asked, leaning forward in her chair as she finished telling her best friend last night's fiasco. "What am I going to do"

Misao raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me that this guy randomly walks out in front of your car, you swerve to miss him and end up in the woods stuck in the mud, which you later pull yourself out of, the guy talks to you while hiding in the woods, for some unknown reason you DON'T pull out your cell phone and call the cops, he corners you against a tree and practically rapes you and you still didn't call the police, then afterwards you go back to your car and he's traced some satanic symbols on it, you STILL don't call the police, but instead drive home and call me the next morning."

The ceiling fan whirred silently overhead in the few seconds before Kaoru responded. The two girls sat facing each other, Misao on Kaoru's blue and silver futon, Kaoru in her favorite ragged recliner. This was how they often worked out their problems, face to face and together. They'd been friends now for nearly a decade; since that fateful day they'd met each other in grade school. It had been hate at first sight, but because of all the fights they'd gotten into, and because of the fights the detentions they'd spent together, the girls eventually put aside their differences to become best friends...and chronic troublemakers. They'd calmed down a bit, now that Kaoru had turned 22.

Kaoru's ancient chair made various popping and creaking noises when she moved, and seemed to punctuate her sentences. "I wasn't stuck in the mud! And he didn't practically rape me. He didn't even really touch me, except for my wrist. And they weren't satanic symbols. Just words." she said in her own defense.

"Just words! Kaoru, you are insane. Plain and simple. Absolutely loony, nuts, wacko, IN-SANE. I'd think you were pulling some stupid practical joke on me but you're way too into it. Why do you have a cell in the first place if you aren't going to use it when you're in trouble!" Misao said, flopping back down into a prone position from the ramrod straight pose she'd bounced into when Kaoru defended herself.

Kaoru sighed and rubbed her hand down her face, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Misao I wasn't in-"

"If you weren't in trouble, then what do you call it" Misao demanded, sitting up again. "You're the one that's always making me lock my doors at night because more buglaries happen in the city! You're the one that won't let me pick up hitch-hikers! You're the one who says that those people under the overpasses are bad news! Why didn't you use your cell"

Kaoru shrugged. "I don't know...I guess I just really didn't think." she said, picking at a loose thread on the arm of her trusty recliner. She hated being wrong. "I'm allowed that once in my life, don't you think" she shot back. "It's not like _you're_ perfect." Misao scowled. "This is some seriously wacked out stuff, Kaoru" she said. "I still think you should call the cops, but let's go look at your car, first." she said. "What did you say these words were"

Kaoru sighed. "He traced them on my hood. It says 'My presence haunts your footsteps'. " she said, knowing it would incriminate her villian further. Misao huffed and stood up. "This guy is wacked out. This is not good Kaoru. Not good at all. Why didn't you call the police" "BECAUSE" Kaoru paused a fraction of a second to gather her composure and the shards of her temper. "They wouldn't have believed me anyhow." she finished more calmly. "Officer Fujita would have laughed me out of the station. I've been in there so many times because of..."

Kaoru turned her head away and started again. "I've been in there so much with Aoshi continually getting arrested and with the" "Kaoru, it's ok, I understand." Misao said, cutting off Kaoru's painful stumblings. Kaoru nodded. "Well, he's particularly vicious with me for some reason. I don't think he believes a word of what I've told them about my father." Misao shot Kaoru a sympathetic smile. As Kaoru stood up, the color drained from Misao's face. "Kaoru..." she said, her voice quivering a bit.

"Yes" Kaoru said, her eyes full of confusion and concern. Misao swallowed, her eyes wide. "Tell me where those words came from...you know, the ones on your car." Kaoru frowned and looked down at the floor. She shook her head. "Misao, that's not important." her voice came out as more of a plea than a statement. "Kaoru, it is very important. Tell me where they came from. I've heard them somewhere." Kaoru opened her mouth, but closed it again, tears shining in her eyes. "No. Come on, let's go look at my car."

Misao jumped up as Kaoru practically ran from her bedroom. "Kaoru" she called, frustration creeping into her tone. She just knew she'd heard those words somewhere! Misao followed Kaoru at a more sedate speed, giving her friend time to calm down. From the way Kaoru'd looked, those words had something to do with her father. Misao mulled as she silently walked through the wide hallway of Kaoru's house. There wasn't that much to look at even if she hadn't been so deeply lost in thought. The walls of the hallway were curiously devoid of any pictures besides the occasional nature scene.

Kaoru lived here alone; she'd lived here all her life, but until last year her father had lived here with her. Then one day Kaoru came home from work to find the house in shambles. Blood smeared all the walls, even in her bedroom. Tables were overturned, dishes broken, it all pointed towards foul play. And of course Kaoru became the prime suspect. Because of her father's insurance policy, Kaoru suddenly found herself quite well off, though not half as rich as many suspected after the trial. The police department didn't need any more evidence. A search warrant was easily attained and they ripped Kaoru's home apart from top to bottom.

Still they found no evidence that Kaoru had done anything. The search produced no murder weapon, nothing strange. Then Officer Fujita made a startling discovery. Upon entering Kaoru's bedroom, every smear on her white walls had numerous crosses, obviously drawn by fingertip or something of a similar size. There were thousands of them, only in her room. Every mirror in the house had been broken, but for the large full-length mirror in Kaoru's bedroom. Besides the blood on the walls, her room had been untouched. The police dusted for fingerprints on the walls. There were none.

To the police, this meant nothing; the crosses could have been drawn with gloves. Pending further investigation, a pair of bloody gloves were found under Kaoru's bed, however, the gloves were too small for Kaoru's hands. Forensics found no traces of skin inside the gloves. Still believing they had evidence against Kaoru, the police department arrested her. Two days later, a potential murder weapon was found. In the large den, a mirror had stood against the paneled wall in front of the bar. This mirror had been smashed, and one particularly large shard of the mirror, when examined by the forensics department, had pieces of her father's tissue imbedded along the edges. Fingerprints on the mirrored glass were found, and they did not match Kaoru's fingerprints. She was released.

The case had never been solved; it was nearly impossible, with no body. Her father simply faded away, leaving only his journal and what memories Kaoru had inside her mind. Those few things were all that had kept her clinging tenaciously to life for the following months. Misao had been a lifeline to the girl, but then, that's what friends were for. She knew Kaoru would have done the same for her. She just wished that she had been able to convince Kaoru to leave this house, for many of the memories it held were not good ones.

It had taken weeks for the trio, Kaoru, Misao, and Aoshi, to even finish the beginning of cleaning up the house. Each wall had to be scrubbed with bleach and disinfectant before being repainted. It was a hard job for Kaoru, who was reminded with each scrub that these walls held her father's blood. Holes caused by the struggle had to be patched; mirrors would eventually be replaced. Once the scrubbing was finished and the wreckage was picked up or trashed if it was broken or irrepairable, Kaoru requested that Misao and Aoshi leave the rest to her. Misao reluctantly complied, and Kaoru repainted the house alone. It was definitely a time to mend her heart and put her father's spirit at rest.

Misao sighed. She could understand why Kaoru didn't want to call the police, after all, she'd been there through the grueling interrogations and through all the statements, but there came a time when safety mattered more than old grudges. If Kaoru needed police protection, Misao was not above making sure she got it. Coming out of the hallway into the den, there was no evidence that it had once held such turmoil within the placid deep green and mullberry wine purple. Kaoru stood waiting for Misao. "Are you coming" Kaoru asked her friend. Misao nodded, still chewing her lip thoughtfully.

"Spik" Kaoru called, clapping her hands together loudly. "Spik! Come girl" The jingle of a collar preceded the arrival of the brown boxer. The female canine practically wiggled with joy; her short, stumpy tail wagged frantically as Kaoru patted her with affection. "Good girl, yes you are..." she cooed. Misao ignored the pair for the moment, her eyes instead finding the ornate aviary of Span the parrot. Span sat sullenly on his perch, but when Misao approached he slowly but surely turned himself around so that his back was to the girl. He fluffed his wings and settled in a manner that clearly read 'Hmph.' Misao rolled her eyes and looked back at Kaoru. "You mean you still have this dumb bird" Span's head twisted around, as if he knew he was being talked about.

Kaoru looked up from scratching Spik's belly. "Yes, and he isn't stupid. He keeps Spik and I company." she replied, standing up and brushing herself off as she walked over to Misao. She pointed at the mass of blue feathers on the bottom of the aviary. "He's molting, or he's pulling out his feathers again." she said. Misao frowned. "Why do you keep such a troublesome bird? Have you got him to talk yet" Kaoru shook her head. "The shelter told me Span suffered a lot of abuse. It's going to take time, Misao. The healing process isn't instant."

Misao nodded. Kaoru's words were true, and it was just as much herself she spoke of. Spik rolled herself up off the floor and trotted over, leaning against Misao's leg. Misao mindlessly patted the boxer while still looking at Span. "He's just so...irritating..." she said. Span turned himself around and cocked his head, giving Misao a parrot glare. "You two just don't get along. You should back up now." Kaoru said. Span's glare intensified and Misao jumped back a few feet as the blue parrot shrieked and threw himself at the side of the aviary, beating his wings wildly and making the most God-awful noises man had ever heard.

Misao sneered in the parrot's direction. "Misao, one, Span, zero." she said with a smirk. "Why don't you just let the dog eat him" she said, looking to Kaoru. "Spik's too well-trained for that." Kaoru mused, inspecting Span. "You're letting Spik stay in the house with you, right" Misao asked. "I always have." Kaoru said with a smile. She finally broke away. "Spik, come." she said, heading towards the entrance to the garage. She caught her reflection in the wall mirror behind the small bar and fixed a few hairs that were in her face. "You coming" she asked Misao. Her friend nodded and trailed after her.

Spik trotted happily into the garage as Kaoru opened the door, but before the boxer's back paws left the doorway, her body tensed. A low growl caught Kaoru's attention. "Spik" she asked. Whuffing noises came from the dog as she sniffed intently. Kaoru flicked on the light and caught the doorjamb as her knees threatened to buckle. Misao walked up behind her, unable to comprehend Kaoru's weakness as she surveyed the garage. "Kaoru, what's" Misao's words stopped as her mouth formed an 'O' of sudden understanding.

Both girls stared helplessly at Kaoru's spotless black car. A towel lay on the floor near the left front tire, dirty and rumpled with the wielder's aggressions. There was no dust on Kaoru's car, and thus, no words. A few footprints lead away from the car and towards the window. It hung open, and a gentle breeze wafted through it. What drew both girls' attention was the single red rose on the car's hood.

Spik finished sniffing the doorway and padded into the garage, sniffing and growling at the towel before moving to the window. She placed both paws on the sill and growled there also. Kaoru rushed forward, having finally regained her strength, and gently shoved Spik out of the way before slamming the window and locking it in a frenzy. "Misao." she said softly. "What am I going to do"

Misao remained silent, staring at the drying footprints on Kaoru's garage floor. "We have to call the police." she said. "And tell them what" Kaoru demanded, finally exploding. "Someone was in your house, Kaoru" Misao shouted back. "Breaking and entering! Don't you watch any police shows" Kaoru scowled. "What are we going to tell them, Misao" Kaoru asked, her voice scathing. "That while we sat in my room discussing why my life is screwed up someone broke into my garage to wash my car? Come on, I mean that isn't exactly threatening." she said. Misao glared. "Under the circumstances, I think it may be! Kaoru, this is getting too dangerous to let your stupid feud with the police go on! He could have killed us" she said, gesturing to the car. "What if he was armed"

Kaoru bit back a retort and sighed. "The police will never believe us. We have no proof, Misao." Misao searched the room frantically with her gaze, looking for anything they could use as proof. "We have the rose." she said finally. Kaoru shook her head. "There is no proof he put it there. Could have been someone else." Kaoru said. Misao thought for a minute. "What about the footprints" Kaoru looked at the floor. "Dry." she said. Misao stomped. "This is not cool, Kaoru! Not cool at all! You can't stand there and tell me that you're just going to let this go and not _do_ anything about it! This isn't even _me_ this is happening to and I'm scared out of my wits" she exclaimed.

Kaoru nodded, snapping her fingers to get Spik's attention and heading out of the garage. She locked the door that led into the foyer as she stepped back into the den. "I'm terrified." she admitted. "But this is _my_ house, dammit. I'm not letting some creep run me out of it. I went through too much here. Let's call the police. I don't think it will do any good, but maybe I'll put a little more faith in them than I have before." Kaoru said, being sure that Spik stayed close at her side. Her hands shook slightly as she picked up the phone. A few seconds passed before she tossed it to Misao. "You dial." Kaoru said. "I can't."

Misao nodded, clicking the talk button and holding the phone up to her ear. A puzzled frown spread over the woman's features. "You just got this phone off the charger, right" Misao asked. Kaoru nodded. "Yeah, why" "The line's dead."

>(Oo) 

**A/N: **WOoT! I had no idea what was coming out of this chapter. Now I just gotta figure out what happens next, darn it. sighs and walks off to her 'Wonderwheel of Plotlines'


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: _Untitled_**

**A/N: **Well, after much debate and struggling (I don't know why...), this chapter is out. Bear with me from here on, I don't really know what's going on either, hehe. I'm just having fun with this, but I'd like to remind you again that this story starts out as an original, so there may be things contradictary to the RK-ness of it all. If you notice any, feel free to let me know.

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original storyline. I'm just shamelessly exploiting them for my own selfish reasons._

"You've got to be kidding me. Hang on..." Kaoru blinked and looked at Misao again. "Please God tell me she didn't say that the phone line is dead," she said, her brow furrowing as she stared at Misao's face. Misao swallowed. "Um..." Misao replied, unable to hide the slight tremor in her voice. "Yes?" "Oh Lord," Kaoru said, sinking to the floor slowly. Spik plodded over and butted her head against Kaoru's chest, demanding attention. Misao looked as if she would burst into tears. "Kaoru-" she laid the phone back down on the table, next to the charger. "We've got to get out of here."

"But Misao-" "But nothing, get up and get your purse, we're going to the police station. Up, up. Come on, I'm taking that rose, and the towel. Can you get fingerprints off a towel?" Misao said, moving towards the kitchen. Now that Misao had decided on a course of action, there was no stopping her. Kaoru picked herself up off the floor, walking to the table and placing the phone back on the charger before following Misao into the kitchen. Misao tore through the drawers in search of plastic bags. "Don't you keep any Ziplocs around here?" she asked, unfolding Kaoru's neatly folded towels and dishrags. Kaoru walked over a step to the drawer beside the oven and pulled it out. Freezer bags, sandwich bags, brown bags, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap all sat neatly beside each other inside of it, along with straws, plastic silverware, and wire ties. After several seconds of Misao not noticing, Kaoru cleared her throat.

"Oh, look. You found them," Misao said, grabbing the entire box of freezer bags and heading towards the garage. "Misao, is this really necessary?" Kaoru asked, trailing after her. Spik followed after snuffling noisily in the open drawer. From the den Span screeched annoyingly. "Stupid bird," Misao growled, trying to unlock the garage door. "Kaoru, get here and unlock this door, right now," she said, placing her empty hand on her hip. "This is important, he's gonna come back and try to finish us off while we can't call the cops!" Misao exclaimed. "I for one don't plan on being here!" Kaoru twisted the lock and opened the door. "Fine, whatever. This isn't going to do us any good."

Without the window open, the garage was stuffy, and the smell of fresh car wax was more noticeable. "Man, it reeks in here," Misao said. Kaoru recoiled slightly and wrinkled her nose. "Just finish playing cop and let's get out of here. Maybe we can convince Officer Fujita to check out the house once we get to the station," she said, frowning and moving back out of the garage. "I'll go grab my purse out of my room," Kaoru called over her shoulder. She clicked her tongue to Spik and headed for her room. Misao pulled out a freezer bag and turned it inside out, carefully grasping the rose with her plastic-covered hand and guiding it into the bag, being sure not to knock off any of the petals. She then sealed the bag and did the same with the towel before walking out of the garage and locking the door again. Kaoru waited for her in the foyer.

"Are you finished playing, now?" Kaoru questioned, raising an eyebrow at the two bags Misao carried. "Yes," Misao answered defiantly, raising her chin. "Go get in the car; I'm driving."

And on the garage floor a single red hair lay undiscovered.

The police station wasn't far; it would only take the two girls about 15 minutes to get there. Since Kaoru lived outside the suburbs, there weren't as many squad cars that patrolled her street, so it wasn't like they could just catch one on his way around the block. What few neighbors she'd had had left after her father's murder, leaving her house the only occupied residence on the outskirt of town. Tall pine trees lined each side of the two-laned road. "Hey," Misao said. Kaoru jumped; she'd been looking out the window and not expecting the noise. "Hm?" she responded, not turning from the window. She half expected to see Kenshin on the side of the road.

"Where was it that you went off the road?" Misao asked, braking as she neared the slow-moving vehicle in front of her. "It's further up here," Kaoru said, moving her eyes from the scenery to the car in front of them. LDS 417. It was a local plate, but by the speed, it belonged to either a very old local person, or a very new local person. Kaoru sighed. "Slow down..." she said, sitting up and looking across the road. "There!" she exclaimed, pointing to a twin pair of skid marks that led off the side of the road. "I don't know how I managed to miss those trees," she said. "Me either," Misao agreed, pulling her eyes back to the road.

After passing the slow car somewhat illegally, Misao had them at the police station in a matter of minutes. She grabbed the two bags and pushed open the door. "You coming?" she asked. Kaoru curled a strand of hair from her ponytail around her finger. In front of the car sat her worst nightmare, the police station. The station was old; pieces of the red brick were crumbling and in desperate need of replacing. The granite walk that led to the entrance of the building was cracked and missing in places; the bushes were overgrown and wild. Despite their lack of care, the bushes wore their last bloom as proudly as a new winter coat. Twin pillars sat squat and crumbling, their majesty long retired.

Kaoru opened the door and wasn't surprised to find herself weak-kneed as she stepped from the car. It had been nearly a year since she had even considered going near this place. Perhaps it was time that old fears be placed on a dark shelf and forgotten, after all, she did have something new on her plate. The question that lurked in both girls' mind was simple. Would the police believe Kaoru this time, or would this end up being a repeat of her father's murder?

Kaoru smoothed her dark blue track pants, shaking one foot to pull the hem out of her tennis shoe. She took a brief moment to wish that Misao had given her more time to make herself presentable; with her hair in her trademark ponytail and her clothes this carelessly adorned, it made her look rushed, panicked. Appearances were everything, especially when dealing with the police. It could determine whether or not you were listened to, and if you were, whether you were believed or not. Things were looking grim.

Misao walked around the car to Kaoru. "Maybe it won't be Officer Fujita," she offered, shrugging slightly. "Who knows, maybe they got some new, hot, supercop who'll actually listen when we talk." Kaoru raised an eyebrow, but didn't reply. Misao took her hand and led her down the crumbled walkway. Each step was like walking through mud for Kaoru. It resurrected old memories that she'd managed to bury inside her heart, memories of her father, laughing and happy, bringing her to town, greeting officers, buying groceries...oh, how she despised this place! Next came the memories that had never been buried, the ones of the shocking murder scene, of blood on the walls and broken mirrors that haunted her even though her walls were clean and all the mirrors had been replaced.

"Misao," she said, pulling back on the hand that led her so resolutely forward. "Misao, I can't," she said pitifully, feeling as if any second she would burst into tears. "No, please, don't make me go in there," she choked. Misao stopped and turned to face her friend. "Kaoru..." she paused. "I have to. You have to go." Kaoru shook her head frantically and tried to pull her hand out of her friend's grasp. "Kaoru!" Misao said as Kaoru fought against her. "Come on!"

"Excuse me Miss, do you-oh," came a voice from the entrance into the station. Standing between the two crumbling pillars like a biblical Sampson was Officer Fujita. The wind ruffled his dark hair slightly; his piercing eyes searched the souls of both girls standing before him. He was well-built, even for a policeman, muscular but not bulky. Through all his muscle he still managed to appear slender and graceful. He blinked calmly at the two of them. "Have you come to confess, Kaoru? Because this is no chapel, and we have no priest," he said, his voice mocking though his face showed no emotion.

Misao gritted her teeth; the fire in Kaoru's eyes could have melted steel. Misao turned around, not releasing her hold on Kaoru's hand, and fixed Officer Fujita in a deadly glare. "Why we are here is no business of yours!" she said, pulling Kaoru in an attempt to storm past the man. Kaoru stopped her once they neared him and yanked her hand from Misao's grasp. "To protect and to serve," she said, her voice filled with deadly calm. Misao grabbed her best friend's hand and pulled her mercilessly toward the police station. If she didn't separate the two - and fast - this could turn into something ugly.

"To protect..." Officer Fujita mused, his stoic face expressing nothing. A dangerous gleam in his eyes was the only expression he showed as he effortlessly endured Kaoru's glare. "There are certain types of people that do not deserve protection," he said, shrugging one shoulder flippantly. "Like those who murder their parents." Kaoru lunged for him but Misao managed to keep a firm grip on her wrist. "Kaoru, no!" she hissed. "It's what he wants!"

Kaoru wondered if it really mattered at all. Officer Goro Fujita would never believe her innocence, no matter how airtight her alibi, no matter how heartfelt her testimony. She glared at Misao's restraining hand. "Let me go," she demanded. "Kaoru, no, it's not worth it!" Misao pleaded. "Oh, but it is," Kaoru growled maliciously, wrenching her arm out of Misao's grasp. She stalked slowly up to Officer Fujita, her heaving chest inches from his uniform. Her gaze rested on his badge before slowly trailing to his face. She hated this man, loathed him with all her being, but even she had to admit he was one hell of a man.

His jaw was sculted in a stubborn line; his cheekbones were high and would have given him a sallow look, if he weren't constantly smirking at someone else's inferiority or stupidity. He was cleanshaven and annoyingly handsome. His eyes were perhaps his best and most prominant feature. The striking gold was the pure color of honey and though they were hardly ever soft, his eyes spoke volumes about just how passionate he could be. He radiated an aura of confidence and infuriating smugness. It wasn't that he was better than anyone else; it was just that most of those that surrounded him suffered from a devastating lack of intelligence.

"I did not kill my father," Kaoru began furiously. "Ah, but what if I say you did?" Goro drawled. "I didn't!" Kaoru almost shrieked. "So you've said," he remarked dryly. "I have proof I didn't do it," she growled, resisting the urge to poke him in the chest as hard as she could. It would be like poking the backside of a horse anyhow, unpleasant and apt to get you kicked. "Proof?" Goro said, his eyebrows raising. "If you mean that pathetic excuse for proof you presented in your trial, then I think not." Kaoru resisted the urge to scream and tackle him. "What do you _mean_ 'pathetic'?" she said, her voice once more calm, yet underneath it ran a river of bitterness. "Your alibi was see-through," Goro said.

"See-through?" Kaoru howled, finally giving in to the urge to stab him in the chest with her finger. She thrust her finger into his chest with all her might, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't force him back one step. Goro glared at her bitterly. "You took a break at 3:40, correct?" he asked, his voice poisonous. "Yes..." Kaoru agreed cautiously. "And clocked back in at 4:50," he said, obviously very familiar with the case. "It takes you twenty minutes to get from your work to your house _going the speed limit_. I know, I've timed it," he said, shushing her effectively when she began to protest. "That's fourty minutes. You had twenty minutes to murder your father and smear the walls, clean yourself up, then go back to work. Plenty of time."

Kaoru boggled at him. He honestly thought she'd done this. "What about the people who saw me on my break?" she asked. "Your employer informed me that you left in your car," Goro said. "Unfortunately, I couldn't find tire tracks at the scene." Kaoru glared. "That's because there were none. What about the fingerprints?" she shot back. "I believe they were your father's," Goro said, looking her in the eyes. Kaoru gasped. "He held on to the piece of glass that the murderer used? Get real." "His fingerprints are not on file, even with the hospital. He had no criminal record, so there really was no reason to have them. His body was never found so we don't have that to go by. Convenient, don't you think?" he asked with a sneer.

Kaoru gaped again at the officer before her. "You're a sick, twisted, son of a -" "Kaoru!" Misao shouted. There was one thing they both knew that Fujita would never stand for, and that was being cursed. "COME on," Misao demanded. Kaoru listened for once and stalked away from Officer Fujita, his glare throwing daggers at her back. "Any time, Kaoru. I'll match wits with you, just come prepared next time!" he shouted after the two as they entered the police station.

Kaoru waited until they were inside to speak again. "You should have let me! Maybe he would have hit me, so I could claim police brutality!" she said, furiously storming along beside Misao. "He might have actually _hurt _you. Did you think of that?" Misao asked bluntly, stopping to look at Kaoru. Her hands flew to her hips, the two plastic bags bumping against her thigh with a dull thud of agreement. "What if he had really hurt you?" she demanded when Kaoru didn't answer.

Kaoru rolled her eyes. As if Officer Fujita would _ever_ do a thing like- "Have you thought of anything for like, the past 48 hours? Cause if you have you sure aren't showing it! Dangerous things are going on, Kaoru, and you pick a fight with one of the guys _that are supposed to be helping us!_" Misao continued, venting her frustration. "We aren't here to fight the good guys! Now stop being stupid! You see where it got your father, don't you?" As soon as the words flew out of her mouth, Misao knew they had been a mistake. Kaoru froze in her tracks and her eyes went wide. Misao looked down at the ground.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

Misao continued to inspect the floor. "Let's go find the Chief." she said finally, still not looking at Kaoru. "His office isn't far down the hall." Actually, it wasn't but a few steps away. Misao rested her hand on the knob and turned to face Kaoru. "Coming?" she asked. Kaoru's eyes glittered with anger, and at first Misao thought she was mad at her, but then saw that her gaze was diverted to the door. "I'm not going in there," Kaoru said. "What?" Misao asked, turning to look at the door. To her dismay, it read: 'Saitoh Hajime, Chief of Police'. She snatched her hand off the knob as if it were on fire. "Who is that!"

"Fujita." growled Kaoru. "Goro is an old nickname of his from high school. I knew one day he'd pop out with his real name. And there is NO way I'm going in there!" she stomped. "I'd rather be assaulted five billion times by this 'Kenshin' than deal with Mr. My-Head-Is-Bigger-Than-My-Nuts-So-I-Have-To-Act-Arrogant Saitoh. How'd he managed to get promoted, you think?" she mused. "Ah well, it doesn't matter." And with that she turned and immediately ran into the hard brick wall that was Saitoh Hajime. "OMPH," she grunted. Saitoh was almost as surprised as she seemed to be, for when she'd collided with him, his arms had flown out to catch her, just in case she'd fallen. Since when did he care? Kaoru's hands splayed his chest in the few seconds before he realized they were touching each other. It took him those few seconds to remind himself that he _didn't _care.

He snatched his hands away with a scowl and Kaoru pushed herself back forcefully, causing him to stumble slightly. Misao gaped soundlessly at the two as they all remained temporarily speechless. There was a long, awkward silence. "Kaoru!" Saitoh said in mock delight, finally finding his voice. "Imagine running into you here...oh, wait, I don't have to!" Kaoru opened her mouth to retort as her hands balled into tight fists at her sides. Misao pushed between them. "Saitoh, we aren't here to fight with you. I'm asking you two to put aside your petty differences for a few minutes, ok? I know that's a lot to ask, but we need to talk," she said, looking back and forth between Kaoru and Saitoh.

For a long second, neither of the two moved. Just when Misao was beginning to get particularly exasperated, Kaoru nodded slightly. "Okay. I'll do it if he will," she said, looking Saitoh in a way that was almost apologetic. Almost. The police chief sighed. "If I must," he said, waving a hand in the direction of his office. "Let's have a seat, if we've declared a temporary truce." This said, the three moved into Saitoh's office.

This was definitely not the first time Kaoru had been in this office, but since Chief Riddin had been replaced by Saitoh, it looked decidedly different. Where Chief Riddin had had pictures of his children, and his late wife, Saitoh had only one picture, a picture of his cat. The gray tabby looked almost as sour as Saitoh could be sometimes. Saitoh caught Kaoru looking at the picture. "Sweetness," he said. "That is his name." Kaoru raised one skeptical eyebrow. Saitoh shrugged. "I didn't say he lived up to it." Kaoru sighed and went back to looking around his office.

Saitoh ignored her for the moment and walked around behind his moderately sized desk. It wasn't a business executive desk, rather it was a smaller, older, more rickety desk of a police chief. Water rings scarred the surface, caused most likely by many cups of coffee forgotten as the Chief worked long nights. Kaoru knew her father's case had been one of the cases that had kept Chief Riddin up so many nights, and those round scars on the desk made her feel guilty, even though she had done all she could. The glass wall was shielded with slightly faded blue blinds, and a withering plant sat in the corner.

Besides the picture of Sweetness, the office was bare of personal items. A flag on a stand sat in the corner opposite the withering plant, and beside it hung the state flag. There was no window. With a sigh, Saitoh flopped down into his high-backed nylon chair. It protested weakly under his weight but gave a satisfied squeak as he twisted it slightly. "Have a seat, ladies," he said, gesturing to the two similar chairs in front of his desk. Kaoru sat first, and then so did Misao.

"So, what's going on that you managed to drag..." Saitoh paused, carefully searching for a word that Kaoru wouldn't take offense to when she heard it. "Her...here?" he finished, propping one elbow on the desk and spinning his chair sideways. "It's not Aoshi again, is it? No, you wouldn't have been able to drag her inside if it was something that menial..." he mused, mostly talking to himself. "Kaoru has a problem," Misao said, interrupting his thoughts. He considered giving her a rude look, but decided against it. "But first-" Kaoru cut in, looking at Misao. "I, personally, would like to know how you are doing at your new job, and where Chief Riddin went," she said, not rudely for once.

"Ah, well. To make a long story short," Saitoh began, leaning back in his chair and threading his fingers together in front of him as they sat propped on his chair arms. "Chief Riddin was getting old." "Yes," Kaoru agreed. "He is very old," she said, in slight amusement. Saitoh nodded before continuing. "He retired," he said with a shrug. "That's all there is to it. I, however, am so _incredibly bored _that it isn't funny. This job is all paperwork, and occasional punishment for an erring officer," he sighed. "Please tell me you have something real for me to work with."

Misao sat silently in her chair, smugly thinking to herself that it was possible that those two carry on a decent conversation. Soon enough, as Kaoru began to explain what had happened, she found her attention wandering back and forth between Kaoru and Saitoh. They would make a fabulous couple, she decided. Saitoh was just stubborn and strong enough to make Kaoru see where she was screwing up, and maybe he could pull her out of the slump she didn't know she was in. Kaoru was explosive and...well, feminine enough to make Saitoh come out of his emotionless shell and _feel_ something.

Saitoh had not had an easy childhood, Misao knew. His father was a raging alcoholic, currently serving a no-parole life sentence in the State Prison for something that Saitoh never talked about. She knew his father had been a violent drunk, and he drank often. Saitoh's mother was a weak, dainty, docile woman, and even when she'd been beaten black and blue had never complained. Saitoh had learned at a young age that he must protect his mother, for the simple reason that she couldn't protect herself. His younger brothers learned this also, mostly under his direction. One of his three younger brothers had gone on to become a firefighter. The second was a cop, like Saitoh. The third...had disappeared when he was younger, according to Saitoh, and no one knew where he had gone. Misao had a sneaky suspicion it had something to do with why his father was in prison.

Misao snapped out of her reverie to find Saitoh staring at Kaoru emotionlessly. Kaoru was preparing to glare at him. "Kaoru," Saitoh began. "Why do you insist on coming here to feed me a line of bullshit like this? You should know I don't have time to deal with this!" he said, frustrated. "No, really!" Misao said, pulling out the two bags. "Look, we have the towel and the rose!"

Saitoh rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm not falling for your cock-and-bull story. If you don't have anything serious, get out of my office. I'm not playing around anymore." Kaoru stood up and slammed her hands down on his desk. An empty coffee cup rattled and spun before tipping over. "DAMN IT, I'M NOT LYING!" she screamed at him. Saitoh stood up, his eyes dark and dangerous. "Get out," he hissed, pointing to the door. "I WILL NOT!" Kaoru yelled back at him. In the midst of all this din, Misao's cell phone began to ring.

"GET OUT OF MY DAMN OFFICE!" he screamed back, picking up his overturned coffee cup. "You know over my coffee cup, damn it!" he said, growling as he inspected the cup for cracks. Finding none, he glared at her. "Now, get out of my office before I lock you up," he thundered. "Make me," Kaoru said defiantly. "You and your two-bit gun and plastic handcuffs don't scare me!"

Misao had finally managed to locate her cell phone in the cluttered backpack she called a purse. "Sh!" she said over Kaoru and Saitoh's bickering. The two ignored her. "Hello?" she said. She hadn't recognized the number, but it could be Aoshi calling from work. It had the local area code... "Hello!" she said again, plugging her ear impatiently as Kaoru and Saitoh's voices rose in bitter crescendo. "Hang on," she said, still unable to hear the person on the phone. "SHUT UP!" Misao screamed at the two, effectively startling and silencing them, for once. She stood up and stalked from the room. Kaoru and Saitoh glanced at each other before continuing their arguing in raspy whispers. "Am not crazy!" "Are too!"

Outside Saitoh's office, Misao could finally hear the voice on the line. "Hello?" she said. "Ms. Makimachi?" "Yes, this is she..." "This is John Locke. I work with Aoshi? I'm the job-site supervisior..." came the voice. Immediately thoughts of Aoshi being injured flooded Misao's mind. "Oh my gosh, Is Aoshi ok? Did something happen? What's wrong!" she said, her voice slowly growing frantic. "No, Aoshi is not injured. But there has been an accident. Your brother-in-law Nael was buried under a large amount of rubble when one of our scaffolds collapsed. We managed to get him out, and he's currently in the ER here at the hospital. His wife says he's badly injured and that she will need to spend the night, and wanted to know if you can come pick up Chaz and Len."

Misao struggled to process what she'd just been told. "Wait...Nael is hurt? Ani's there? You said Ani's there...Oh my Gosh! The twins!" she said, as it finally dawned on her why he'd evidently called. "I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm on the other side of town, but I'll hurry." "Don't worry, the ER doctors took him into surgery as soon as he got here, and by the looks of it, he may be there for a while. Ani says to take your time, and be careful." "Thank you," Misao said, sighing. "Anytime," said the man before hanging up. A worried expression settled itself over Misao's features.

She considered calling her sister, just to let her know she was on her way, but knew hospitals require cell phones to be turned off. Misao slipped her cell phone into her pocket and opened the door to Saitoh's office. It seemed Kaoru had somehow convinced Saitoh to at least listen to the story again. "And then my phone line was dead, and it wasn't just the phone cause I checked the charger-" "You did?" Misao said. "Yes. I even checked the plug!" Kaoru exclaimed. "So then Misao grabbed the rose-" she held up the bag. "And this towel, and demanded that I come here and tell the police. Believe me, it was no choice of mine even though I didn't put up _that_ much of a fight, but I would have if I had known you were the new police chief," she said, half-serious.

"What hurts me the most is you're probably not joking about the last part," Saitoh grumbled. "Yeah well. I wouldn't go there if I were you," Kaoru said, a hint of a grin on her lips. "Kaoru, I have to leave," Misao said, grabbing her purse and heading for the door. "Nael's been in an accident and Ani needs me to get the twins. I'm sorry to leave you like this, but you understand, don't you?" she continued hurriedly, obviously itching to go. Her leg jittered as she waiting for Kaoru's response. "Yes, Misao. I understand, go get the little monsters. I'll catch a cab when I'm finished here," Kaoru said. "Oh, Kaoru. You're a sweetheart!" Misao gushed before running out of Saitoh's office and through the police station.

About two hours later, Kaoru gave up on trying to convince Saitoh what she said had happened had really happened. She stood up and stretched slightly. "I guess I'll go catch a cab now," she said, after a lengthy yawn. "What time is it, if that isn't too much to ask?" Saitoh looked at his wall clock. "It's about 8 o'clock. You sure you don't want me to drive you home?" he asked. Though what the two girls had said made no sense, he had to at least do his policeman duty. "No, I'll just catch a cab," Kaoru said. She'd had quite enough of Saitoh Hajime for one day. "If you insist..." Saitoh grumbled. So much for being nice.

"I'll be careful," Kaoru tossed over her shoulder sarcastically as she left his office. Back inside, Saitoh let loose a string of curses. "You're bringing me nightmares again, old man!" he said angrily, throwing his coffee cup against the wall and relishing the sound it made as the broken pieces of glass fell to the floor. If Kaoru heard it, she disregarded it completely.

'_Now all I have to do is catch a cab,'_ Kaoru thought, looking out into the dark. The bluish streetlight shone above her with an annoying hum. "Taxi?" she called, waving her hand. There were no cars on the road. With a sigh, she started walking. Eventually one would pass by. After about ten minutes, one ambled by. Kaoru threw out her hand, and it stopped a few feet in front of her. "A taxi. Thank God!" she said, her feet protesting even though she was wearing sneakers. She opened the door. The interior light didn't come on, but she slipped inside anyhow, scooting over to the rear passenger side. "5734 Poffensor Drive, please," she told the driver. With an almost imperceptible nod, they were on their way.

**A/N: **Suspicions anyone? Oh, but the next chapter will be fun. Hehe! Feel free to drop me a line, I read them all I really do!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:_ Untitled_**

**_A/N: _Well, sorries to you all. It shouldn't have taken so long, but I had vacation, festivals...and stuff. SO, without further adieu except to remind you that this is being written as another story, blah blah, I'm sure you've gotten enough of that by now so just read the story.**

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, I'm just shamelessly exploiting them for my own selfish reasons. _

_Note: Rating increased for language. Don't sue me. _

Kaoru shifted in her seat, unable to place exactly what was causing her uneasiness. It was hard to say, really, that she was all that uneasy, but she certainly wasn't relaxed or comfortable. Perhaps it was the dark, or the close confines of the cab she'd chosen, or maybe it was the simple fact that everything had connected so easily…

She frowned, smoothing a wrinkle in her pants as she looked around, trying to calm herself down. There was nothing to see: the cab was as dark as the back of her eyelids, and not when she looked at the sun. Dark tint clung to the windows to shield the day-time customers from sunshine that could be harsh even in the dead of winter, but did little to help Kaoru now. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled, and she caught herself rubbing them absently.

She didn't think it was the cab; she'd ridden in cabs most of her life and they'd never given her this feeling before. She did, however, get this feeling when someone (usually someone other than herself) was driving a bit too fast for her liking. Kaoru craned her neck to see the spedometer, but her eyes met only darkness. The driver seemed to revel in the darkness, for the interior lights – even the ones on the dashboard – were turned down so low that Kaoru couldn't even tell they were on. Or maybe it was the pale glow from underneath the cigarette lighter crippling her eyes. The whitish yellow glow wasn't very bright: it shone only enough to illuminate the cabbie's name on the dash and reveal a vague outline that gave Kaoru the creeps.

Kaoru's eyes flicked back to the window, staring at her reflection that stared back at her. She didn't realize that as fearful as she felt on the inside, none showed on the outside. She couldn't see outside, and that was a fact that was definitely beginning to bother her. She shivered. Her mind would not stop the nasty tricks it loved to play…

"…um…Excuse me, Mr.–" Kaoru squinted at the name taped to the dash. "Mr. Heigne?" Randomly she noted that she hadn't put her seatbelt on. Hopefully this Mr. Heigne was in a good mood, and didn't decide that he should sling his annoying passenger out the window, and hopefully she didn't scare the bejeeses out of the poor man. Ultimately she supposed she was doomed to the same fate.

A semi-responsive grunt from the driver told her to continue. "Could you turn on the interior light? I…dropped an earring," she lied. What was she supposed to say, You're really creepy and I'm scared out of my wits, please don't rape me? "No," came the immediate, almost angry answer. He offered no more explanation, so Kaoru asked again. "Please?" "No." "Why?" She demanded, scooting forward. The driver whipped around to face her.

Kaoru couldn't see his face, but his eyes reflected an odd, malicious light. She shrank back in the seat away from him, hoping he didn't draw a knife. "You weren't wearing earrings." Kaoru's hand found its way to her pounding heart. "I, well…um, you see…what happened was," she stuttered. "I-I had them in my hand," she recovered finally, raising her chin to appear braver, and to hide the tremor in her voice. "And you aren't a very good liar. Why would you be holding earrings if your ears aren't pierced?"

Kaoru was taken aback. Sure, it was perhaps light enough for him to have noticed that she wore no earrings, but there was no way he'd been able to see close enough to tell that her ears were not pierced. In order for someone to know that, they must know _her. _No taxi drivers that she knew knew her well enough to know that her ears were not pierced. She paused. Maybe this really wasn't as bad as it seemed. Perhaps she was overreacting. Maybe it was just all a big mistake, and somehow she did know him.

She squinted at the name on the dash. "Lep, have I ever ridden in your cab before?" She asked. "You sound really familiar." Not long after she said it, she realized it was true. He really did sound familiar. "No," the driver said, and in the dim light Kaoru saw his lips curl into an amused grin. "Can't say that you have." Kaoru shuddered and clutched her purse. He was certainly very creepy, even for a cab-driver. "Oh. Ok."

A few moments of silence passed, and Kaoru began to relax. Then her cell phone rang, effectively scaring the wits out of her. She screamed bloody murder and flailed her arms and legs, nearly managing to fall out of the seat before she realized it was indeed her phone. The driver offered a single, stoic chuckle. The phone had almost finished its ringing cycle before Kaoru found it. "H-hello?" She asked, her voice still shaking.

"Kaoru, hey girl…um…where are you?" Misao's voice rang clearly through the phone, and Kaoru heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm on my way home, Mom…" she said, stressing the last word in hopes that Misao would understand that there was someone else there. "Mom? What's with that? Look, where _are_ you?" Misao pushed, sounding urgent. "It's a long story," Kaoru said, rolling her eyes. "Kaoru, this is important!" Misao said. "There's no one here at the hospital. The nurses have never heard of a Nael Nichinacha _or_ a Ani Nichinacha. I called Ani and she said that everything was fine. _Where _are you?"

"Uhm…well, you see, that's a funny story…" Kaoru said, the blood draining from her face. There was a very pregnant pause. "_What!" _Misao hissed. "A funny story…Kaoru…" Kaoru's eyes darted to the cab driver, who for the moment seemed more interested in the road. "No, I'm sure he'll be looking for me; I'm already late home," she said, not taking her eyes off the driver.

"What?" Misao said, her voice as confused as ever. Kaoru closed her eyes and willed her friend to catch on. "No mom, my tremendously huge predominantly tree-trunk like boyfriend," she said, affecting a huge fake grin. If her phone had a cord, she would have been twirling it in her fingers. As it was, her other hand twitched nervously. "Kaoru, please tell me you let Saito take you home…" Misao whispered through the phone, and Kaoru could tell by her friend's tone of voice that her eyes were closed in silent prayer…even though Misao never prayed.

"No?" "WHAT!" Came the immediate, hysterical response. "YOU'RE IN A CAB?" Kaoru winced. The cab driver had certainly heard that. He made no sign that he had, however. "Just _where_ are you?" Misao demanded. "Pull that cab over, I'm coming to get you." Kaoru laughed nervously. She hated how obvious she sounded to herself. "I don't think he'd do that…" she said, still trying to pass it off as if she were talking about her nonexistant boyfriend.

"He'd better fuckin' do that!" Misao shouted. The speaker on Kaoru's phone vibrated, and Kaoru held the phone out away from her ear with a grimace. "SH!" She said when she pulled the phone back to her ear. "You're screaming at me. And don't use such language." Kaoru could almost hear the steam boiling off the top of her friend's head. "I'LL USE WHATEVER DAMN LANGUAGE I WANT, KAORU KAMIYA! YOU GET OUT OF THAT CAB TH–-" And the phone began to fizz. _'It's the dead area…I know where I am…' _Kaoru thought, then frowned. "Misao!" She said, forgetting her facade for a moment. She needed her friend on the phone! "Damn!" She said, smacking the phone against the back of the seat several times before she realized that…she'd just gotten tangled up in her own lie. "Misao?" She said into the phone, pitifully, her eyes on the rear-view mirror.

The phone crackled and she caught the last bit of a few of Misao's words, but then the phone made a piteous beep and flashed the 'No Signal' message at her. "Damn…" she murmured again, pressing herself closer to the door. She looked up and met a pair of eyes in the mirror. He was looking at her again with that creepy, malicious gleam in his eyes.

"Don't hurt me…" she whispered in fright, her voice almost inaudible. A low, undeniably evil laugh vibrated through her bones. "Come now, Kaoru…" the cabbie drawled, chuckling maniacally. "You didn't honestly think I didn't know who you were talking to in the first place, now did you? After all, I sent her there…" _'Oh my God…it's the psycho stalking bastard that I can't get out of my thoughts…'_ Kaoru's mind whirled frantically, and she felt her heartbeat phsyically get faster.

"W-who…are you?" She whimpered, her hand searching in vain for the door handle. "Oh now Kaoru…you know who I am…you knew when you opened that cab door…" came the sophisticated tone. Yes, she did know who it was…but… Car headlights from the other direction illuminated the car fully, revealing the entire identity of the false cab-driver. His long, auburn hair spilled over his shoulders as he stared back at her, his amber-violet eyes harsh and intense. "Oh my God…" Kaoru finally whispered. "It's you…Kenshin…"

When the meaning of her words finally hit her, she scrambled frantically along the door, searching for the handle that had eluded her so effortlessly before, and finally found it…locked. Kaoru felt a scream building up in her throat as the car pulled off of the road. Gravel crunched under the tires ominously. "What do you want?" She pleaded. "Money? I have that, just take my wallet! There's even credit cards, and–" "No," Kenshin cut her off before she could finish. "I have no use for your petty human distractions," he said, his eyes narrowing.

The amber seemed to leak over the violet like mercury, and Kaoru was reminded of the time she'd broken the thermometer in the kitchen. Her father had told her to be careful, and not to touch the mercury, because it was poisonous. The gaze in Kenshin's eyes was surely the same, but Kaoru couldn't help but stare back into the endless pools. "That is not what I want," he said finally, his voice soft and mesmerizing. Kaoru could almost feel herself sailing away on the ocean that was his gaze; she could feel herself drowning in the capsizing vessel that was her willpower and fear. "What I want…" he said, leaning back towards her. Kaoru's breath quickened, and she caught herself leaning forward to him. His finger lifted her chin and sent trails of fire through her body. "…is something I can never have." And then he broke away, leaving Kaoru feeling unfulfilled, like a cast-aside lover. "I'm sorry…" she breathed, wishing that he would touch her again. Kenshin snorted. "I'm very sure you are," he said, turning away.

Kaoru almost cried as he blocked her out. He hit the door lock button, and Kaoru barely even noticed that the locks popped up. "Go," Kenshin said, his voice heavy and brooding. "I enjoy the chase." That much was certainly true. Kenshin valued the chase more than the kill, for after the chase, there was no more that could be. Though he was a creature of the night, and took life nightly as his means of survival, Kenshin believed very strongly in the value of life. It sickened him just how many of those that still had their lives didn't appreciate them.

Those he sometimes chose to eliminate simply because he could. And the world was a better place for that, he was sure. He thrived on terror, the disbelief, the anguish and bittersweet curiousity that this was the end, but even more, he thrived on the surge of energy, knowledge and adrenaline that flashed in a person's eyes before they died. He delighted in watching that spark come before snuffing it with his final brutality. Kenshin often wondered just what his victims were seeing, and sometimes mourned that he couldn't ask them, but alas, his work was final…and he didn't believe in doing things half-way.

Kaoru snapped back, almost like coming out of a trance, and stared at him in disbelief. He'd ferried her out here in the middle of nowhere to let her out of his cab? What was it he'd said? _'I enjoy the chase…'_ Kaoru shivered and inched out of the cab. Once her face touched the cool, dewy night air, her terror returned, although not as strong as before. A part of her strangely longed for him to catch her, to touch her again with his molten fire, but her rationality screamed that she was crazy. She glanced back on last time; her blue eyes met his amber ones, and she knew she was destined to run.

Kenshin scowled at the retreating back of his current prey. Humans were so pathetically easy to manipulate. He'd hoped Kaoru would be different, mostly because he was going out of his way to disturb her, to stalk her, to harass her…and to make her love him anyway.The constant play of emotions she radiated excited the more primitive feelings inside of him, which in turn exhilarated and amused him. If he had any real interest in who she was, he might have called it infatuation.

But to him, Kaoru Kamiya was pure, unadultered lust and sweet– agonizingly sweet– revenge in one body. It was the body that excited him somewhere on a deeply masculine level, and he thought perhaps it was because he knew he could have her, even right now, after he'd chased her down, he knew if he wanted her, all he had to do was touch her the right way– the way he'd touched her before– and she would be his. But he didn't want her yet. No, not yet. He wanted her to come to him, to beg him to have her, to ravage her pride, her person, and eventually her mind. And when she asked, he would comply. Until then, he would wait.

It struck him just how out of character he'd been lately, but it was obvious from an old encounter that conventional methods would not work with Kaoru…not since her pathetic excuse for a father had intervened and deprived him of what he'd wanted. Kenshin cursed. He hated not getting what he wanted, and the memory of that deprivation, of the months of planning, of all the thought that had gone into his plan, then the effortless thwarting of it by a human who should have been no trouble made him angry.

But he'd gotten effortless revenge on that old man, Kenshin remembered with a grin. And now he was back for sweet vengeance: Kaoru. He couldn't kill her, which was what he'd originally hoped to do, but that had been effectively halted, and could not be done. At least, not the way he wanted. He was quite sure what he wanted to do with her, and it was the perfect way to kick dirt in the face of her dead father. He, Kenshin, would have Kaoru as his vampiress love slave. The irony was so incredibly poignant that Kenshin could hardly believe he'd thought of it. He would have the daughter of a Hunter as his slave. Glorious.

The very prospect made him want to gloat, to turn to the dead body of her father and say: _'Look here, old man. See your daughter? She's mine now, and she will be forever! ' _Kenshin let out a purely evil chuckle before opening the car door. Let the hunt begin…


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Yeah so it's been a long time. I'm semi-back, though! Well, this chapter is finished...hope you like it!**

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original storyline. I'm just shamelessly exploiting them for my own selfish reasons._

**Chapter 6: _Untitled_**

Kaoru pelted through the brush, her crashing footsteps like thunder to her ears. She was frightened, lost, and confused, and she wanted to hide but had no idea where. Where could she hide that he wouldn't find her? It was hopeless, he was too fast, too sharp, too...inhuman to miss her. She leaped over a fallen tree, swatting at tree branches that tore at her hair and clothing. She was covered in a plethora of tiny, bloody scratches and could feel the blood running down her face and neck from the particularly vicious ones, but she still continued to run, fueled by the knowledge that he would catch her if she didn't. What would he do?

Her mind chanted a constant mantra in her ear (_'Run, run, run!'_) as she ran, pushing faster and faster in the dark. She couldn't see, couldn't think, and didn't really want to do either, because she was afraid that one or the other, or maybe both, would finally point out to her that she'd lost it, that she'd had a surprise brain aneurism and a blood clot was starving her brain of oxygen, causing absurd hallucinations, but it all felt so real...

No. It definitely wasn't a hallucination; this was real. She swerved around a rotten tree, only to run into a patch of briars. Before she knew what was happening, Kaoru was on her hands and knees with incredible fire running all along her body. Her first thought was fire ants, and her second was OW! She tried to straighten up, but the briars were hopelessly tangled in her hair. She whimpered and fought furiously with them, ignoring the blood that stained her hands and ran into her hair. Finally simply ripping at the entangled hair, she freed herself of the troublesome vines. Her shoelaces were tangled, but she pulled them loose and stumbled on.

Kenshin strolled casually along the blatantly obvious trail Kaoru had left him to follow. Broken sticks, overturned rocks, Kaoru wouldn't have been that hard to track even if he hadn't had superior vision and hearing. Even as far away as she was, he could hear her panicked breathing and hurried steps as she charged ahead of him. Sooner or later she would tire, and he would enjoy hearing the hopelessness in her manner when she did, but she still went on strong this early. That was fine...let her run.

Deciding to pick up the pace of the chase a little bit, he began to jog. _'Kaoru...I'm coming for you,' _he thought, then smirked. This hunt had been over before it began. He stopped and kneeled before the thorns that Kaoru had fallen into, his hand delicately reaching out to pull the thin strands of her hair from the briars. He closed his eyes and lowered his head towards the ground. The scent of her blood was strong here, radiating to him, calling and begging to be taken.

Kenshin inhaled slowly before standing again, his eyes a feral amber.

Kaoru leaned against a tree, both hands against either side of it as she panted for breath. This was getting her nowhere. She was getting tired; she couldn't run much longer. She knew he knew this...he'd known it from the very beginning. If she could get back to the road, maybe she could find a car, and somehow she'd convince them that her bizarre story was real! No, that would never work. Perhaps if she could move far enough out of the dead area to get cell phone reception...

With a frantic clutch at her pocket, Kaoru realized she didn't _have_ her cell phone. Panic wrought her for several minutes before she slapped herself firmly across the face. The sound rang out in the forest, and a few of the night sounds paused before cautiously starting again. Kaoru gasped, surprised that it had actually _hurt_ that bad. It never looked like it hurt that badly in the movies. She shook her head. There was nothing she could do about her lost phone, but she needed to get moving again.

There was a very potentially dangerous guy after her, and she wasn't especially keen on being caught.

Kenshin's narrowed amber eyes didn't waver from Kaoru's still body. He had caught up to her quite a distance before, but had yet to make a move. The scent of her blood was intoxicating, and quite frankly, it was driving him mad. Instincts in him demanded that blood, and it was difficult for him to refuse them. A low growl vibrated from his throat as Kaoru pushed away from the tree and rubbed a blood-stained hand across the oozing cut on her neck.

Her eyes flicked to his hiding place and the chase began in earnest again. He darted after her, his breath coming in short pants as he struggled with his beastly inner demons. He charged around a tree Kaoru had passed and began to tail her. Kaoru cast frightened looks backwards as she dove through the underbrush; she was whimpering now, and trembling if she'd taken the time to stop.

Kenshin lunged for Kaoru, she felt his cold fingers graze her arm, but she jerked away and ran again. She looked back once again, caught his predatory gaze, and turned to bolt through the forest even faster. She ran for several minutes; he was so close she could sometimes feel his fingers graze her body, but she continued on. She knew he could end the chase at any time, and she raged inside at the power he held over her. Why did he not use it?

The only answer she could come up with only infuriated her more. The only explainable reason was that he was toying with her. He was feeding off her emotions, running her around and tiring her...for what? Cold fingertips on her heated skin forced Kaoru away from her thoughts. She hadn't been paying enough attention to her running, and Kenshin had closed the shallow gap she had been able to gain on him.

She turned back and met his gaze, and was spurred further on by the hunger in his eyes. This was not a look she'd seen previously. This was not the smug, arrogant look he'd possessed when she first met him, nor was it the seductive, smooth look he'd possessed in the taxi cab. Her mind screamed run, then she saw red. Then black.

And Kenshin smirked.

A solid, thick line of pain filled Kaoru's head; every heartbeat made it worse, and all she could see was red. The color swirled in front of her eyes, blinding and hurting, but somehow her eyes opened anyhow. Her vision remained blurry for a few seconds, then her eyelids fluttered and everything seemed to clear for a moment. Someone...someone leaned over her, and a necklace of some sort dangled near her face. What...Where was she? Those sounds...who?

Everything leaked back to her slowly. She was in the forest, and...Kenshin! Kenshin was chasing her! That evil, psychotic stalker! He, HE was after her and---He was looking her in the face, a twisted grin revealing far more of his pointed, vampiric teeth than Kaoru wanted to see. "Oh God no..." she whispered, closing her eyes when she felt tears pricking at them.

Kenshin felt her hopelessness, and decided finally that he liked it. A low rumble started in his chest as he bent over her. "Oh yes, Kaoru. This is what I am. Do you fear me, finally? Do you feel the hopelessness in this clearing? What good is this God of yours, when he left you here, alone, with me? Convenient that he arranged for you to run blindly into that limb, don't you think?" he said, his eyes clouding stormy amber. The smell of fresh blood nagged at his senses. It had been days since he'd fed...perhaps...

Kaoru moaned slightly, and a tear fled the throbbing refuge of one eye. Kenshin could see that the flesh around both eyes beginning to bruise. The rather large cut on her neck bled slightly; it seemed to have reopened when she fell. Kenshin's eyes watched as a fat drop of blood rolled down the porcelain skin to caress the leaves beneath her. _'It wouldn't take much for her to take the blood, now that she is down for the count and injured,' _Kenshin thought. All his well-thought-out plans began to steal away, leaving him with the demands of his inner demon and intense need.

He took a shuddery deep breath and grasped the talisman around his neck, closing his eyes and willing the demon down. The need for blood decreased, but the call remained, clouding his thoughts, obscuring his reason. Kaoru moaned again, softly enough to not disturb the night noises around them. The crickets sang loudly in the silence that then reigned.

Kenshin's eyes were riveted to the open wound on her neck. Would she even notice? He hesitated only a moment longer, then ran one slender finger up her neck to the wound, staining the tip red with Kaoru's blood. He hungrily stuck the finger in his mouth, and what little violet that had bled back into his eyes disappeared promptly. He growled and lowered himself to her neck, licking gently at the wound.

Kaoru's eyes snapped open, but she found herself unable to move, for Kenshin's hands pressed her arms firmly against the ground. Her voice seemed to have taken refuge somewhere far away. The pounding in her head increased tenfold as her pulse began to race once again. His tongue burned like fire against the cut on her neck, and she struggled against him. "No!" she gasped, for his hands were unyielding. "No, don't," she whimpered. Her eyes closed in defeat when she realized he wasn't going to stop.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed but didn't move from the wound. His other senses searched the forest for danger, but finding none returned to his current fascination. His mouth attached firmly to the cut, sucking greedily. Kaoru let out a small yelp, and her eyes flew open again. Pain! Pain...Was he killing her? With a sob, Kaoru realized she didn't care anymore. The forest canopy spun around her, and the ground fell away. She felt weak, defenseless, and hopeless. The world bled black...

Kaoru awoke slowly, in that comfortable, easy way one always wakes up in their warm bed. She stretched under the covers then winced. Man, she was sore. That had been one odd dream she'd had...she must have stayed up too late watching TV the night before...now that she thought about it, she was almost certain that was what had happened. Too much TV, too late. She smiled to herself, then pulled the blankets back and sat up.

She raised her hands to rub her eyes but the window caught her eye before she could. It was bright and shining outside, obviously well past noon. She'd slept all day? Oh well. She stood up and stretched fully. Kaoru then noticed that she was completely naked. Well...it must have gotten hot in the night, see, there on the floor were her clothes, they were...dirty and torn?

She frowned slightly and headed towards the bathroom. She'd feel better after a shower. She felt...dirty and gross. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, then yawned. She worked night shift tonight, if she recalled correctly, so she needed to get ready. She jumped in the shower, and sang to herself. She laughed as she finally stepped out of the shower...today was going to be a good day! She pulled her towel off the towelrack and flipped her hair over, capturing it with the towel and drying as she raised her head.

She pulled the towel down and caught a glance of herself in the mirror. Most of it was fogged up, but the middle was clear from where she rubbed it every time she got out of the shower or bath. Two purpled black eyes greeted her. "Oh my ever-living God."

**A/N: Um...yah...that's the end. Review and tell me about it! I give you permission to yell at me for being gone...lol...**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** **Okay, addressing a few things before the chapter that I've screwed up. - Okay, first off, Kenshin is waaaay OOC in this chapter, even more so than the rest of the story, but it is essential to the plot. Those of you who are looking for a hardcore IC Kenshin should perhaps not read this chapter and certainly forget that this story ever existed, because it only gets worse. I promise, heh. Okay, another thing, further on into this chapter, I mention Kaoru's father's name. I am not an expert on RK (regrettably), so unfortunately I do not know his real name, so instead I substitue Kamiya Senior. (Lol, I'm corny, shut up.) Continuing on into the story, meaning later chapters, it will probably remain the same, unless someone wants to kindly enlighten me as to his real name. Also, I am ALSO unaware of Kaoru's real birthday, so I used a substitute day that is likely not the day she was really born on. Okay, I had a 0.0027397261 chance of getting it right. (And unless I'm mistaken, that is the REAL probability...who knew that useless statistics class would come in handy?) Once again, if you know this, please inform me so I won't continue to irk people with my stupidity. - Domo Arigatou.**

**Speaking of which, much of this chapter was written to Mr. Robato, by Styx. Awesome techno/retro song, if you want to check it out.**

**_Disclaimer: Yep, I SO own RK. That's why I'm writing this pathetic fanfiction from TN instead of commanding hordes of waiters and waitresses on a 2 year cruise around the world in my Titanic-sized yacht. blink Okay, shut up._**

* * *

**Chapter 7: _Untitled_**

"Yes, I'm sorry..." Kaoru said, tapping her fingers on the table as she listened to the voice on the phone. "It really is incredibly urgent, I'm very grateful that you are so understanding, after all the things I have put you through with the police and---No, I won't be in today. Yes, I've caught some sort of virus...Thank you, Zachary. I'll see you tomorrow. All right...take care...goodbye." And she hung up the phone.

What was going on? Kaoru raised one hand to gently prod the bruised flesh beneath her eyes. She winced and hurried into the bathroom to examine them more closely. Two dark half-moons cradled her eyes, the edges a fainter blue-ish color while the inside of the bruise was the same angry purple as thunderclouds. She yelped a bit when she pressed a little too hard on the tender flesh. Did this mean...could what she thought she'd dreamed really have happened!

Impossible...but then...if it hadn't happened, how had she gotten these brilliant black eyes? She pulled herself up onto the bathroom counter and slipped her bare feet into the sink as she leaned against the wall. The last the she could remember...running, running, running, and he was after her! She remembered running, then suddenly not running. She saw herself run directly into the long tree limb, then fall to the ground. Then there was a space, a blank space, where she remembered nothing. Then, she awoke again, and _he_ was there, and he was close to her...Her neck! Kaoru's hand flew to the side of her neck and she stretched to see it in the mirror...there was no mark.

No mark...

She frowned and crossed her legs. That was the last she remembered. What had happened between then and now? Had he...was she a...vampire? Kaoru's eyes went wide and she jumped down from the counter, barely kept her footing on the wet bathroom floor, and skidded into her bedroom. She still wore only a towel. She quickly threw on a tank top and pajama bottoms. What was she going to do? Was she a vampire! She caught herself heaving breaths and stopped, her heart racing. Did vampires have a heartbeat? When Kenshin had leaned so close to her the night before, all she'd felt was the cold radiating from his body...but did they have a heartbeat...

She didn't feel cold, but maybe she couldn't tell. She made a pathetic whining noise and ran back into the bathroom for her shoes. She caught a glimpse of her reflection and jumped. Then she ran back out of the bathroom and into the hallway. Maybe _real_ vampires had a reflection. She didn't know! With another whimper Kaoru dropped her shoes halfway down the hall and sprinted to the front door. Sunlight! Did sunlight affect real vampires!

She burst out the door into the sun, tripping hopelessly on the raised walk and tumbling into the lawn. The bright light caused her eyes to tear, and she immediately panicked more. "Oh God I'm melting!" she raved, her eyes watering. "My back! I can feel my toes turning to liquid!" she gasped, rolling as the pain in her back grew even worse. She rolled quickly away when the pain didn't diminish immediately. "Aaaack!" she said, coughing a bit when she inhaled part of a dandelion.

Heavy weight on her back and a whine brought a little sense back to her. Then Kaoru felt the warm drool in her hair. "SPIK!" she shouted, pushing herself to her feet. The boxer tumbled off her back and danced happily about, ecstatic to finally be noticed. Drool flew everywhere, and it coated Kaoru's toes. A large rock lay in the lawn where Kaoru had lain moments before...and her eyes were by this time well-adjusted to the sun. Kaoru sighed and plopped down on the lawn, hugging Spik when the boxer trotted forward for attention. "Well, maybe I'm not melting after all," she said to the dog. Spik's tail wiggled excitedly.

"But there is one way to know for sure," Kaoru said to herself. "Father's necklace..."

* * *

Kenshin strolled casually into the store and out of the sunlight. He'd done his small part today in terrorizing Kaoru, and now he was off to pick up a few more outfits to wear. He was beginning to tire of his classic black wardrobe. He took off his dark sunglasses with one hand and stared around the store at several curious sales associates. He snorted and walked farther into the store. He wouldn't be bothered by them, not with the aura he radiated. Anyone near him unconsciously moved away. He stepped up to the clothing rack and easily found what he was looking for.

His eyes trailed across the salesgirls again. His inner demon howled for blood...and they eyed him so lewdly. He gave the closest girl an almost coy smile and went back to his browsing. The sunlight was bright outside, and he badly wanted to put his sunglasses back on, but it would have looked suspicious in the darker store. Unlike many myths said, Kenshin did not melt in sunlight. On the contrary, he enjoyed the sunlight, though it could never heat his permanently cold skin. He had to be very cautious of burning himself, and as super sensitive as his eyes were to light, being out in the daytime was painful, so it wasn't often that he came out during the day.

But he'd had a specific task to perform today, and shopping was close by, so he'd decided to finish his errands, and now this young girl tempted him so blatantly. The girl seemed to have taken his smile as a 'Come get me', because she walked over. "Hello sir, is there anything I can help you with?" she asked, reaching out a hand to brush Kenshin's arm. She didn't seem to notice the temperature of his skin. She did, however, notice the dark green shirt he was holding. "You would look infinitely handsome in that shirt...not that you need it," she purred, leaning a little closer.

"Yes, my dear, I understand," Kenshin said, amused with her reaction to his aura. "What do you say we talk about it?" he said in a low voice, raising a gentle eyebrow. A look of triumph slid across the girl's face before she pretended to consider. "Well...I'd have to ask my mother..." she said, turning away coyly. "Aw, now, you're a big girl," he said, placing the shirt back on the rack and putting a hand on each of her shoulders. He felt her involuntarily shiver then relax. "After all, Mommy can't know the things we might do..." he whispered in her ear. "No...she can't," the girl murmured. "Yes, let's go. Take me away!"

Kenshin grinned from behind her. "As you wish," he said.

* * *

Kaoru gave Spik one last pat before standing and walking back to her front door, which stood ajar. "Come on, Spik, let's go inside," she said, snapping her fingers. The boxer followed, her tag jingling happily. Kaoru smiled and held the door open for her dog, then followed her inside, closing the door firmly behind her. She hesitated, then locked the deadbolt and slid the chain into place. The chain wasn't much good if someone decided they wanted inside, but the deadbolt made her feel safe. Something about the satisfyingly heavy click as two inches of thick metal slid into place within the inner workings of the door made her relax. Which was good, as what she was about to unveil was not for public eyes.

Span the parrot eyed her before squawking loudly and bursting into laughter that sounded uncannily like Kenshin's. "Shut up," Kaoru grumbled to the parrot, shivering. When Span didn't stop, she turned to stare at him. "Stop it, you dumb bird!" she shouted before running down the hall, plastering herself to the wall at the end of the hallway. From the far wall inside the den, her reflection stared back at her, panting and looking quite frightened. _'Kaoru, this is stupid. He can stalk your body but he has no place invading your thoughts. Forget about him, or he triumphs over you,' _A voice in her mind said. Realizing it was right, Kaoru took a deep breath and walked back down the hallway. After all, there was nothing out of the ordinary in the mirror, now was there? What was she thinking, being paranoid in her own house, when she knew she'd locked and deadbolted AND chained the door. Nothing was getting inside.

Spik looked up from where she had been grooming herself on the carpet and wagged her tail. _'There, see. Spik is completely at ease, so nothing could possibly be wrong.'_ Kaoru closed her eyes and steeled her will and walked back into the den. Span cackled again from near the door, but Kaoru didn't respond this time. A telltale shiver raced down her spine, but that was the only reaction she showed. "Spik, come," she said, the tiniest quaver in her voice. Span stopped laughing just as suddenly as he'd started. The silence that echoed around Kaoru was almost as frightening in the wake of the grim laughter, but it was then broken by the jingle of Spik's collar as she obeyed her master's command.

Kaoru felt the comforting touch of Spik's head under her hand as she crossed the den to enter the kitchen. _'I really need to do those dishes...right after this. Don't forget,' _she thought to herself, glancing candidly out the window. A cloud meandered across the sun, casting shadows in her lawn. Several houses down, two children played in a water sprinkler. The family was new, and Kaoru briefly wondered if they would stay or go, like all the others. Now that no police investigation was going on in her house, perhaps the neighborhood would be populated again. She kept walking, pausing only when Spik stopped to scratch. Frankly, Kaoru didn't think that she could enter _his_ room on her own. She needed to know that she was not alone, that she was not guilty; she needed Spik's touch. Once again pausing to steel her will, Kaoru placed a hand on the doorknob to her father's bedroom. Involuntary tears suddenly pricked at her eyes, and she blinked them away and threw the door open.

The room in itself was largely plain; Kaoru hadn't had to remodel this room, for it hadn't been bothered much, so all the furnishings and walls were the same. The only difference was the newer mirrors Kaoru had replaced for the broken ones. What almost instantly caught Kaoru's eye every time she entered the room was the five foot cross on the side wall. Her father had purchased it on the French Market in New Orleans when he'd heard by chance that it had been blessed by a Romanian priest. The large crucifix was ornate and very, very heavy. Kaoru was relatively sure that if the simple make of the object didn't 'repell unwanted guests', the weight would. A very small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Her eyes broke contact with the crucifix almost reluctantly and traveled to the antique mirror on the wall in front of her.

She stepped into the room, smelling the gentle scent of cedar and the very, very faint smell of her father's cologne. She shook her head, trailing her eyes over the plain bed and to the wall opposite the crucifix. Here her eyes graced the most spectacular object in the room. Displayed almost arrogantly on the wall was a sword. The sword seemed to ooze with a malignancy that fascinated Kaoru, but she knew touching was not an option. She walked to the sword and simply stared in awe. Across the hilt and draped lightly on the blade were two rosaries. The first was black and curled around the blade like a serpent. The second was a dark green and looped around the hilt, not touching the blade at all. The blade was two-sided and gleamed with a greedy urgency. No stains blemished the blade, and it begged to be touched. Kaoru knew better. Six words hid beneath the black rosary, quiet but powerful: '_Back, thou demon of the Underworld'.

* * *

_

Kenshin could tell his prey was still deeply immersed in the oozing seductive charm he'd dosed her with back at the store, and it was beginning to annoy him. Girls should never be this pathetically easy. "Oh, you animal," she purred. "Let me see those sexy eyes of yours." Kenshin resisted the urge to sigh. "Not now," he murmured. His eyes were already crying mercy from the sun even through his sunglasses. The light was ruthless today.

Finally he found what he'd been searching for. "Here, my love," he whispered roughly, pushing her gently into an alley with only a casual backward glance. "Oh," the girl giggled. Kenshin frowned at her and removed his sunglasses. "Come here, doll," he growled, winking at her. The girl stood obediently, then seemed to notice where they were. "But I thought...we were going to your house..." she said pitifully, starting to look scared. "But my dear," Kenshin said with a wave of his hand towards her and a thought in his mind, "We are."

The girl cast awed glances about the dirty, disgusting alleyway as if it were the most fabulous thing she'd ever seen. She ran a hand over the moldy walls, fingered some old garbage, and finally made her way back to Kenshin. "Close the door, you've left it open," she said softly, walking a few feet behind him and closing a door that wasn't there. Kenshin smirked while she stood behind him, relishing the feel of his power over this unsuspecting girl. He cast one more glance behind him, and took the girl's hand, leading her deeper into the alley. "Wine, my dear?" he asked. "Well, I'm not much of a--" Kenshin waved a hand gently at her. "Why thank you." she said graciously, her tone changing midsentence.

Kenshin smiled. "Yes, my dear, drink..." he rumbled, watching her as she drank from mid-air. Once she set her 'glass' down, he slowly backed her up against the alley wall. "Now we shall attend to some very pressing business, if both parties are agreeable," he whispered against her lips, placing a hand on either side of her head. Her eyes were wide but encouraging, and Kenshin kissed her softly. "Come my dear, I am not off limits," he said, stepping a bit closer. He felt her hands go to his chest, feeling, exploring. He kissed her again, and he felt her tongue touch his lips. He pulled away quickly, not quite ready for her to feel his fangs. "Too hasty, my dear. Enjoy the brink before the plunge," he whispered. The girl pouted and her arms encircled him, pulling him closer to her. She ground her hips against his.

And she ground away much of Kenshin's self-control with that simple movement. However, what she wanted was not what he intended to have, though she'd put him several steps closer. He kissed her roughly, his tongue demanding entrance to her mouth that was easily granted. As he became more and more demanding and rough, the girl answered him in kind, allowing his small advances and sometimes responding with her own. Kenshin's hands now roamed her body; hers did the same to his. He nipped her lip, she yelped against his kiss but the taste of blood drove Kenshin to the very far edge of his control. He was letting lose his demon, and it wasn't going to be pretty. He finally broke away and the girl gasped for breath; he did the same. He bent to nibble her earlobe, then whispered these words gently in her ear. "My dear...the wine was poisoned."

He felt her instantly tense, then attempt to push him away. He went nowhere. "What?" she whimpered. "The wine was poisoned. You are going to die," he said again, pulling away from her ear to look her in the eye. "Noo..." she said, her eyes filling with tears. "I don't want to die," she said, the first tear spilling over. Kenshin watched it slide down her cheek then turned his amber eyes to her own. "It is inevitable. You are dying. You now begin to feel the twists of pain as the poision enters your bloodstream," he said, and her eyes widened with pain. The girl began to sob. "Sh, Shhh. I can help you," Kenshin said, stroking her hair. "I can make your death painless and swift, instead of long, and agonizing," he said, his eyes gleaming hungrily as she buried her face in his chest. "I can take away the pain," he said. "But you must ask me to. I cannot unless you do."

The girl sobbed into his chest. "Help me," she whispered. She brought her anguished blue eyes to meet his. "Help me die."

* * *

Kaoru frowned and pulled her eyes away from the sword. _'Father told me never to touch it. I wonder if he meant to die and leave it, or if it really was an accident that the sword remained behind. Perhaps...no, false hope will never do.' _She turned to the chest beside the bed and opened it almost reverently, knowing what was inside. Her Father had told her many times about the power of the necklace in his chest, but she'd never believed in all the monsters he saw in the shadows until now. She shook her head and focused on the charm on the small silver chain.

The cross was small and light against Kaoru's hand, when she finally gathered the courage to touch it. Nothing happened. _'Girl, did you honestly expect something to? You aren't a vampire...but somehow your childhood fears are coming back to haunt you. Next thing you know he'll come out of your closet or out from under your bed.' _She smiled and pulled the necklace off the hook it hung on. She might need it for protection. She fingered the cross and raised it closer to her eyes, trying to read the familiar tiny inscription that circled the cross. She knew what it said, but hadn't ever been able to make it out.

All in all, the cross was only about an inch in length and maybe half that in width. A silver ribbon arched in front of it, twining the bottom half of the cross and the two arms. She knew that if she could read it, that ribbon would read _'In the name of all Holy'_. Gently she clasped the necklace about her neck, rearranging it after it fell into place just below the hollow of her neck. She glanced in the mirror to make sure it looked all right and had to smile. Her father would be proud of her for being such a paranoid freak in a moment of stress. She smiled again.

From the hallway, Spik barked, and Kaoru jumped, jostling the chest. From the door fell her father's journal, and it landed sharply on Kaoru's toe. "OW," She yelped, then several various curses she wasn't aware she knew flew from her mouth. Was someone here? What if it was..._him._ She snatched up the journal and slammed the chest, practically sprinting out of the room towards Spik, shutting the door softly. She hurried into the den, only to find Spik growling at her parrot. Span screeched annoyingly at the dog before him, then made a rude noise. "Spiiiiik!" she said, sinking onto the sofa nearby. The journal bumped softly against her leg.

Her father had left all his possessions behind when he'd disappeared, but somehow Kaoru was most reluctant to touch his journal. Perhaps it was the firm respect of privacy her father had instilled in her, or perhaps it was simply fear of what she would find that had kept her from rifling through it earlier. Now, as she sat on the soft couch in the fading afternoon light, she knew that she had to read it. Maybe, somehow, his journal held clues to where he'd gone, or worse...his murderer. She couldn't help but hope, even though she knew she would likely let herself down again. But...if it held information...it was her place to find it.

Kaoru stared at the small hardbacked book in her hands. Was this sacriledge? Surely not. Her father would want her to read it. Kaoru nodded mentally, trying to convince herself, but the voices of doubt still sank their long claws into her conscience. She took a deep even breath and cracked the cover.

_This is the journal of Kamiya Senior. Though many occurrences I speak of __may seem ficticious, all events are recounted with extreme clarity of memory__and sanity. If this journal has fallen into your hands, it is likely that I am __no longer among the land of the living, or at least am missing. Please care for my __daughter, if you are not she. If this is Kaoru...my darling sweet blossom...read these words __only with the utmost caution. In the event that something has gone horribly wrong...I'm sorry._

_Please don't worry about me if I'm gone..._

Kaoru's breath caught in her throat as she read the words addressed to her, and wondered if somehow her father had known something was going to happen. She could feel tears gathering beneath her eyelids, and did her best to ignore them. She sat the book beside her on the sofa for a moment and grabbed the remote, turning on the television for lack of anything better to do. She changed the channel to the local channel and continued to read.

_ January 15, 1981 _

_ My dearest sweet Kaoru...you were born today. I watched you enter into __the world just like I like to imagine yourmother did, screaming and wailing and screaming __a little louder, just to irritate some doctors. I haven't told your mother about my small little __secret, and I fear to do it. I would never do anything to endanger you, my sweetest, but some __things are unavoidable. My occupation is, at best, dangerous, and at worst, fatal. You may __never know this, at least, not as long as I am living. I will put it quite simply: I am a Hunter. __Of course, this certainly raises questions, ones I am sure I will never be able to answer to your __sweet, innocent face, but I must tell you here, just in case something goes horribly wrong. A__Hunter is not reputable, nor famed; in fact, if anything, we are despised and hated among both __the general public and our prey. I have killed more creatures than I dare to recount, but I can __honestly say that none of them were men. I will speak further of this later; you wake. _

Kaoru couldn't contain her tears. Reading words that her father had written, so lovingly, the day she was born struck a painful chord in her heart. She turned her head away. Then, when she had calmed, she continued on.

* * *

**A/N: Tune in next time to delve further into the diary of Kaoru's father! And to see JUST what happens between Kenshin and the salesgirl! evil laugh Mooooohahahahahahahah cough hack ha!**


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